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FORT GIBSON 48, PERKINS 42 — Perkins jumped out to an early lead against No. 1 Fort Gibson, but couldn't hang on. Fort Gibson advanced to the championship game where it will face either Anadarko or Vinita on Saturday.

Having to sit on the bench for most of the first half due to foul trouble, the senior made up for lost time with nine points in the fourth quarter to help top-ranked Fort Gibson hold off No. 7 Perkins-Tryon 48-42 on Friday at State Fair Arena to advance to the Class 4A girls championship.

Fort Gibson Lady Tigers Savannah Gray (11) fights Perkins-Tryon Lady Demon's Hanna Runner (24) for the ball as they play the in the Oklahoma State Class 4A Girls Basketball Tournament at the Fairgrounds Arena on Friday, March 9, 2012, in Oklahoma City, Okla. Photo by Steve Sisney, The Oklahoman

Glover scored the Tigers’ first six points in the fourth quarter and scored the game-clinching points.

“It was really frustrating because I play hard defense and I guess I kind of reach some,” Glover said. “They usually don’t call it but they did tonight.”

Fort Gibson awaits the winner of Anadarko and Vinita for Saturday’s championship at 12:15 p.m.

The Tigers (28-1) fell behind early when Perkins-Tryon opened the game with an offensive onslaught that left Ft. Gibson reeling down 16-7.

That didn’t last long, though, thanks to a 17-5 run to close out the first half.

“It looked like it was going to be a death sentence for us but the one thing about this group is they never quit and we always pride ourselves in being one of the toughest teams in the state,” Ft. Gibson coach Jerry Walker said. “When we are down, they don’t quit. They play harder.”

Jeri Adkison scored 18 points for the Demons, who end the season with a 24-6 record. Jordan Gorham, who scored 33 points Thursday, finished with just 13.

Perkins-Tryon trailed by as many as 10, but got within three near the 1-minute mark.

Glover, though, made three final free throws after both teams exchanged turnovers.

“We know how to win and that’s where we’ve been all these years,” Glover said. “We made enough (free throws) to win.”

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Jacob Unruh is a graduate of Northeastern State University. He was born in Cherokee and raised near Vera where he attended Caney Valley High School.During his tenure at NSU, Unruh wrote for The Northeastern (NSU's student newspaper), the...